Austin City Council voted 2-4 on Aug. 28 to deny a rezoning request to turn land on Spicewood Springs Road into a commercial office space.

The project, named Overlook at Spicewood Springs, was proposed for two stories above street level with an underground parking garage at 4920 Spicewood Springs Road, said Scott Taylor, developer for the project and president of project management company Tierra Concepts LLC. Taylor requested the land be rezoned from single-family residence to general office.

Council member Laura Morrison said she opposed the Overlook rezoning because it could cause a "tug-of-war" with variance requests. The land is located in the Bull Creek Watershed and near environmental features such as rim rock.

"Spicewood [Springs Road] has been developed in a very low scale, very effective way, and I think that needs to continue so I can't support the zoning case," Morrison said.

Council member Bill Spelman said in the past council adhered to a requirement that developments on Spicewood Springs Road needed to be 25 feet from the right of way and rim rock edges. Taylor requested a 15-foot setback from the rim rock to the proposed Overlook building.

"It appears to me that the site is considerably shallower than sites further east on Spicewood Springs, which is at least one of the reasons why the applicant is asking for a 15 foot setback," Spelman said. "It seems to me, however, that if we have established a standard of a 25-foot setback all along this road and have adhered to it in all cases except one, then we ought to adhere to it in this case as well."